From Montepulciano to Jefferson’s America, the wine that tells the story of the birth of a nation

The meeting, hosted in the Council Room of the Town Hall and included in the program of celebrations dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the birth of Francesco Redi, attracted institutions, scholars, representatives from the world of wine and culture, offering the public an original and fascinating interpretation of American history and the role that Italian wine has had in the construction of a modern idea of ​​freedom. In a historical period in which talking about relations between wine and the United States often means evoking duties, trade restrictions, bureaucratic complexities and economic tensions, Clementi and Gaudioso’s volume instead invites us to look at the deep roots of a relationship that has its origins in the 18th century and which contributed to building a cultural bridge between Europe and America.

At the center of the story emerges the figure of Thomas Jefferson, among the founding fathers of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the American nation. But alongside him stands another protagonist who is often less known to the general public: Filippo Mazzei, doctor, agricultural entrepreneur, philosopher and great Tuscan traveller, friend of Benjamin Franklin and Jefferson himself, an extraordinary figure who contributed to the spread of Enlightenment and republican ideas in the New World. It was Mazzei himself, in 1773, who brought the first cuttings of European vines to Virginia, introducing an agricultural and cultural tradition destined to leave a profound mark in the American lands. And it was he who introduced Jefferson to the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, destined to become over the years one of the most appreciated wines by the future president of the United States.

During the presentation, the authors illustrated the heart of their research, explaining how wine does not just represent a gastronomic element or a commercial product, but an authentic tool for understanding society and its transformations.

Freedom, Clementi and Gaudioso argue, does not arise exclusively from institutions or laws. It is a cultural practice that is built in everyday life, through behaviors, habits, forms of sociality and models of coexistence. In this context, wine takes on a symbolic and concrete value at the same time. Jefferson, during his years as ambassador to France between 1784 and 1789, carefully observed European societies. He studied infrastructure, economic systems, agricultural practices and consumption patterns. Among all these aspects, wine became for him a privileged lens through which to understand the functioning of communities and the relationship between the individual and society. Not a simple personal passion, therefore, but a real civil philosophy.

According to the reconstruction proposed in the book, Jefferson considered wine an element capable of promoting moderation, dialogue and self-control. In a society that sought to build new forms of democratic participation, the conscious consumption of wine represented a cultural practice opposed to the excesses associated with spirits, perceived as factors of social disorder. A reflection that takes on particular importance in the figure of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, chosen by Jefferson not for fashion or prestige, but through a process of accurate and constant evaluation. In fact, the letters and historical records demonstrate how the future president periodically ordered the wine from Poliziano, appreciating its balance, measure and quality. Characteristics which, according to the authors, perfectly reflected his ideal of a republican society. Vino Nobile thus becomes much more than a drink: it is the symbol of a balance between nature, culture, human work and territory. A perfect synthesis of those values ​​of moderation and responsibility that Jefferson considered fundamental for building an informed citizenry.

One of the most interesting aspects that emerged during the debate concerns the role of conviviality in early American political life. Jefferson was in fact among the first modern leaders to use the banquet and the table as tools of mediation and diplomacy. The dinners organized during his presidency represented occasions in which political opponents, diplomats and institutional representatives could exchange ideas in a more relaxed atmosphere compared to rigid formal contexts.

In this vision, wine became an ante litteram form of “soft power”, a tool capable of encouraging dialogue, building relationships and creating consensus without impositions or conflicts. A lesson that retains extraordinary relevance even in the contemporary world, where cultural diplomacy continues to play a fundamental role in international relations.

In addition to the authors, Susanna Crociani, vice president of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Simone Crolla, Managing Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, Roberto Sgalla, director of the Center for American Studies, took part in the meeting. The discussion was moderated by the director of L’Espresso, Emilio Carelli, who guided the dialogue between the speakers, highlighting the contemporary value of the themes addressed in the volume.

The intervention of the president of the Consorzio del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Andrea Rossi, was particularly significant, as he underlined how this initiative represents a moment of great cultural value for the territory. A reflection shared by the mayor of Montepulciano, Michele Angiolini. “The presentation of this volume – highlighted Rossi – links the history of the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with a central figure of the Western political tradition such as Thomas Jefferson. The link with the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the birth of Francesco Redi further strengthens the meaning of this initiative and opens an institutional and cultural path aimed at telling Montepulciano through its most authentic identity, made up of history, wine and international vision”.

It is no coincidence that the presentation of the book took place in the year that opens the path towards the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the United States, which will be celebrated on 4 July 2026. The volume offers an original perspective on the birth of Western political modernity, showing how the construction of freedom was not only the result of ideas and constitutional documents, but also of daily practices, cultural exchanges and international relations. In Clementi and Gaudioso’s story, a story emerges in which wine becomes a vehicle of knowledge, a tool for dialogue and a symbol of concretely lived freedom. A freedom that passes through the ability to choose, to recognize quality, to build relationships and to promote a culture of measurement.

Today also represented the official start of the celebrations dedicated to Francesco Redi, the great Tuscan scientist, doctor and man of letters born in 1626, author of the famous Bacchus in Tuscany, a work that consecrated the prestige of Tuscan wines in the European courts and which handed down to history the famous definition of Montepulciano as the place where the “king” wine of all the others was born.